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The exclusive research for the Daily Record also found the nationalists would take back four of the seats they lost last year to Scottish Labour.

The results are good news for First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who remains on course to steer the SNP to their fourth consecutive Holyrood election victory in 2021.

The poll by Survation – the only firm to correctly forecast the result of the snap general election last year – put the SNP on 39 per cent, up by two per cent since the vote last June.

Polling intentions for Westminster election in January 2018 compared to June 2017 (Image: Daily Record)

While Labour are holding steady on 27 per cent, the Tories have dropped almost five points to 24 per cent.

Sir John Curtice, the Strathclyde University professor whose accurate exit poll shocked the world, calculated that could mean the SNP winning nine more MPs to take their total to 44.

The Tories would drop five MPs to eight and Labour would lose four to have three. The Lib Dems would hold steady on four.

Curtice said: “Perhaps it is time to point out that the Tory revival in Scotland has seemingly hit the buffers, for now at least.

“This is yet another poll that puts their rating somewhat below what they achieved in June last year.

“As a result of this – and the fact that the modest gain Labour made last year seems largely to be holding up – the unionist vote is now split more or less evenly.”

But the Holyrood poll results are more of a mixed blessing for the SNP. Compared to the 2016 election, they are down four points at 42 per cent on the constituency vote and have dropped nine points to 33 per cent on the top-up list.

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Labour and the Tories are neck and neck for second place, on 25 per cent of the constituency vote and 23 per cent of the list.

The results suggest the SNP would have 54 seats at Holyrood, with Labour and the Tories both on 29, the Greens on nine and the Lib Dems on eight.

The poll again demonstrates that Scotland’s constitutional future is on a knife edge, with voters still split almost down the middle on independence. If there was a second indyref tomorrow, it would be 54 per cent No and 46 per cent Yes.

Scots remain overwhelmingly opposed to leaving the EU, with 66 per cent saying they would vote to remain in a second Brexit referendum.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney was delighted with the results. He said: “This shows the SNP with a 17-point lead after more than a decade in office – that is an extraordinary endorsement from the people of Scotland.

“For all their talk, it’s clear the Tory revival just hasn’t materialised. People know they’re willing to throw Scotland under the Brexit bus – and Labour are no better.”